Tank-car anchor.



A. E. OSTRANDER.

TANK GAR ANCHOR.

APPLICATION FILED DBG 1G. 1912.

1 ,1 22,41 3. Patented D60. .29. 1914.

Z SHEETS- SHMLI'l I l 1 i WITNESSE5 INVENTOR 5 19715712? fisz rmder w H W ATTO R N EV Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l I I I I l l I I I I I I I I I I I I I I i l I I I I l I INVENTOR ATTORNEY OSTRANDBR.

and 2, or may comprise a separate casting held in position by bolts or rivets passing tliroiigli sail lugs and through the center sills, as may be desired. The parts of the car may be assembled with the anchor attached to the tank, after which the tank may be placed in position and the wedges drawn together by pressure 01 the adjusting nut 13. The preferred manner of assembling the parts to rivet the bolster-center tiller 5 with its integral lugs (3 in position between the center sills, support the upper wedge 10 in position by a pin pass ng through the orifice 15 of sullicient length to span the gap between the center sills. thereby supporting the wedge 10 in position with the bolt 12 held in position in the upper wedge, after which the tank may be placed in position, the pin referred to withdrawn from the oril'fce 15, whereupon the wedge 10 will fall by gravity to a position between the lugs (5 and the anchor T,'a1'ter which the wedge ll may be placed in position on the bolt. When this is done the nut 11 is screwed on to the lower end of the bolt, thereby bearing against the lower face 01 the lower wedge 11, and cansing tlie'licad of the bolt to bear against the upper face of the upper wedge ii), in consequence of which, as said nut 13 advances on the bolt, the wedges 10 and 11 will be drawn together, thereby filling the gap 16 between the lugs t3 and anchor 7, It is evident that the wedges on each side of the longitudinal center ol the underframc may be separately adjusted to compensate for any irregularity of spacing of the lugs 6 and next adjacent faces of the anchor 7. The serra' tions 17 in the opposing faces of the lugs 6 and the wedges 1t) and 11 are oppositely disposed; that is, the serrations at the upper portion of the face of the lug (5 open'downwardly and the serrations at the lower portion of the lugs 6 open upwardlv, while the serrations in the wedges l0 and 11 are oppositely dis 'iosed.

It is evident that in a structure subjected to the vibratory stresses incident to operation of a tank car that the wedge 10 will settle or become automatically positioned in a lower plane during the operation of the car, at which time the upwardly open ser rations on the lower face of the lug 6 will hold the lower wedge 11 in position, so that the upper wedge 10 will automatically adjust itself during shifting longitudinally of the tank on its :iiidcrl'rame. \Vhile there may l i an advantage in placing the wedges near both ends of the underfranic, it is evident that but one set of said wedges is necessary, as the operation of the upper wedge is automatic and will readily compensate for any increase in distance between the anchor- 7 and its ontiguous lug I ly using the wedges in connection with the anchor for the tank, it is obvious that the tank may be more firmly locked in position against movement iongitudinally of its supporting under-frame. It is well known that tanks of tank cars are heavy bodies which are ordinarilylifted by means of power cranes, and extreme care must be taken in placing the tanks in position under normal conditions, in addition to which some clearance between the anchor 7 and the stop lugs is required to facilitate placement of the tank, which clearance, even though small, sometimes permits independent movement of the tank on the underframe.

When the wedges 10 and 11, or a single wedge 10 is used, as before described, it is evidentthat the tank may he placed in position with the wedge 10 in position, after which the wedge 10 will automatically a djiist itself so as to fill the gap 16. Another advantage in the use of the two wedges is that the tank is more securely held in position above the bolsters, so that rocking of the tank on its underframe is prevented.

'hile the wedges 10 and 11 are held in position in operation the tank will be held by friction of such wedges against the face i), so as to prevent separation of the tank and under-frame under normal conditions, though it is obvious that there will be no positive interlocking of the wedges with the face 9 of the anchor which will prevent separation in the event of a wreck tipping the car oil the track, in which latter case such separation is desirable to facilitate replacement.

What I claim is:

1. In a tank anchor for tank cars, the combination of a fixed abutment and Ta juxtaposed vertically mo able anchor, said abutment having a face inclined in two directions, and a Vertically movable interposed wedge.

2. In a tank anchor for tank cars, the combination of a fixed abutment and a juxtaposed vertically movable anchor, each of said members having an inclined face, and a plurality of vertically movable interposed wedges having'faces on one side inclined in opposite directions.

3. In an anchorage device for the tanks of tank cars, an abutment in the plane of the car undert'rame, an anchor depending from the tank, a plurality of vertically movable spaced wedges interposed between said anchor and abutment, and means for lessening the space between said wedges.

it. In an anchorage device for the tanks of tank cars, a fixed abutment and a removable anchor, each provided with inclined faces, and a. plurality of oppositely inclined adjustable wedges adapted to engage therewith. v

5. In an anchorage device for tanks of tank cars, an iindcrfranie comprising spaced sills, a. bolster-tiller spacing the sills of said in ii tank anchorage device, 21 vertically movable twoart wed c. and means .t- C! 1.

ed to engage and interlock therewith.

10. inn tank car, .1 tank, {I support therefor, and it gravity actuated wedge-shaped anchoring device locking the tank in position on said support.

11. In a. tank car, a combination compris; ing a gravity operable tank anchoring wedge. 1

:1. The combination with spaced center sills having a plurality of spaced apartst'ops carried therebetween, of a tank having on anchor attached thereto and depending therefrom between said center sills and in alinc ient with said stops, and a plurality of independently and vertically movable locking niezins disposed between the stops and one side of "the anchor.

13. As a means for anchoring a tank on a car nnderfrzime, transversely spaced apart vertically movable wedges each disposed between 21 depending element attached to the tank, and a portion of the underframe norizontally disposed relative to the element attached lo said tank.

1%. The combination with an underfraine, including center sills, li gs ciirried by said sills, car body, an anchor member depend ing from said. body between said center sills, and a plurality of transversely spaced apart vertically movable members filling the space between said lugs and sa d anchor.

15. The combination with nnderframe, of a car body thereby and removzible therefrom. without destructive eiiort, a plurality transversely spaced Wedges within said iinder'frcme locking said car body to said is derfrezne, eni means for moving saidvvedges vertically independentlv' of eachoiher.

16. in a car, center sills, a plurality of spaced stops carried between said sills, an anchor spanning in: distance transversely between stops, and e plurality of transversely snziced wedges disposed between said stops and the anchor at one side of said anchor, 1

17. "in a tank anchor for tank cars. the combination of :1 ireelv removable tank. a

abutment, and a juxtaposed verticaliv tank anchor cooperating with said movable fixed abutment and a juxtaposed vertically movable tank anchor cooperating with said abutment; one of said members having an inclined race, and a plurality of vertically -movcble interposed wedges adapted to move toward each other.

' 1%. Erin tank anchor for tunl: cars, the combination of center sills, a freely removable. tank, a fixed abutment connected to said sills, and a juxtaposed vertically movable tank anchor cooperating with said abutment, said anchor having an inclined face, and a vertically movable interposed wedge.

, 20. In an anchorage device for the tanks of tank cars, a freely removable tank, an abutment in the plane of the car underframe, an anchor depending from the tank adapted to coact with said abutment, and a pluralitv of vertically movable wedges interposed between said anchor and abutment.

21. In an anchorage device for the tanks of tank cars. center sills, a freely removable. tank, a fixed abutment secured to said sills a tank anchor provided with an inclined face, and a vertically movable locking wedge interposed between said abutment and said anchor.

22. In an anchorage device for the tanks of bankcars, a fixed abutment and a, removable tank, an anchor for said tank provided with an inclined face, and a. plurality of oppositely and vertically movable interlocking wedges. 23. in an anchorage device for tanks of tank cars, a freely removable tank, an Jilderframe including sills, s bolster-filler spacing the sills of said underirsroe, e. member depending from the tz nk, and ii vex-ti cclly movable Wedge adapted to the space between said bolster-filler and said member.

In a tank cor, 2i fiieely removable tank, a supnort therefor, end a gravity wedge-shaped anchoring device locking the tank against longitudinal movement on said support.

25. As a means for anchoring a tank in position on an underframe of a tank car. a member depending from the tank below the top plane of the nnderframe, a fixed element of the under-frame, and a plurality of wedges interposed between one s de of said depending member and said fixed element.

28. As a means for anchoring a tank in position on an underframe of a tank car. e

member denending from the tank below the top plane of the under-frame. a fixed element of the underframe. and a-wedQ-e internnsrorl between said depending member and said fixed element adapted to fill the gap between said member and element when the ear is in service, and to permit removal of the tank without removal of said wedge.

27. As a means for anchoring a tank of a tank car to an undei'ii'aine, transversely spaced independently and vertically movable wedges, each disposed between a verti- 'cal element attached to the tank and a portion ofthe underframe which is in horizon- 10 tal alinement with a part of said vertical element. In witness Whereof'I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

ALLEN E. OSTRANDER. WVitnesses:

EDWARD H. FISHER, LEO V. JOYCE. 

